In bad company. From my friend's childhood memories. Story (1885)

The childhood of the hero took place in the small town of Knyazhye-Veno in the Southwestern Territory. Vasya - that was the name of the boy - was the son of a city judge. The child grew up "like a wild tree in the field": the mother died when the son was only six years old, and the father, absorbed in his grief, paid little attention to the boy. Vasya wandered around the city for days on end, and the pictures of city life left a deep imprint in his soul.

The city was surrounded by ponds. In the middle of one of them on the island stood an ancient castle that once belonged to a count's family. There were legends that the island was filled with captured Turks, and the castle stands "on human bones." The owners left this gloomy dwelling a long time ago, and it gradually collapsed. Its inhabitants were urban beggars who had no other shelter. But there was a split among the poor. Old Janusz, one of the count's former servants, was given some sort of right to decide who could live in the castle and who could not. He left there only "aristocrats": Catholics and the former count's servants. The exiles found refuge in a dungeon under an old crypt near an abandoned Uniate chapel that stood on a mountain. However, no one knew their whereabouts.

Old Janusz, meeting Vasya, invites him to enter the castle, because there is now a "decent society". But the boy prefers the "bad society" of exiles from the castle: Vasya pities them.

Many members of the "bad society" are well known in the city. This is a semi-mad elderly "professor" who always mutters something quietly and sadly; the ferocious and pugnacious bayonet Junker Zausailov; drunken retired official Lavrovsky, who tells everyone incredible tragic stories about his life. And Turkevich, who calls himself General, is famous for the fact that he “denounces” respectable citizens (the police officer, the secretary of the county court and others) right under their windows. He does this in order to get vodka, and achieves his goal: the "convicted" are in a hurry to pay him off.

The head of the entire community of "dark personalities" is Tyburtsy Drab. Its origin and past are unknown to anyone. Others suggest in him an aristocrat, but his appearance is of the common people. He is known for his extraordinary learning. At fairs, Tyburtius entertains the public with lengthy speeches from ancient authors. He is considered a sorcerer.

One day, Vasya and three friends come to the old chapel: he wants to look in there. Friends help Vasya get inside through a high window. But when they see that there is still someone in the chapel, the friends run away in horror, leaving Vasya to the mercy of fate. It turns out that the children of Tyburtsy are there: nine-year-old Valek and four-year-old Marusya. Vasya often comes to the mountain to his new friends, bringing them apples from his garden. But he walks only when Tyburtius cannot catch him. Vasya does not tell anyone about this acquaintance. He tells his cowardly friends that he saw devils.

Vasya has a sister, four-year-old Sonya. She, like her brother, is a cheerful and playful child. Brother and sister love each other very much, but Sonya’s nanny prevents them from noisy games: she considers Vasya a bad, spoiled boy. My father shares the same view. He finds no place in his soul for love for a boy. Father loves Sonya more because she looks like her late mother. One day, in a conversation, Valek and Marusya tell Vasya that Tyburtsy loves them very much. Vasya speaks of his father with resentment. But he unexpectedly learns from Valek that the judge is a very fair and honest person. Valek is a very serious and smart boy. Marusya is not at all like the playful Sonya; she is weak, thoughtful, and “cheerless.” Valek says that "the gray stone sucked the life out of her."

Vasya learns that Valek is stealing food for his hungry sister. This discovery makes a heavy impression on Vasya, but still he does not condemn his friend.

Valek shows Vasya the dungeon where all the members of the "bad society" live. In the absence of adults, Vasya comes there, plays with his friends. During the game of hide and seek, Tyburtsy unexpectedly appears. The children are frightened - after all, they are friends without the knowledge of the formidable head of the "bad society". But Tyburtsiy allows Vasya to come, taking from him a promise not to tell anyone where they all live. Tyburtsy brings food, prepares dinner - according to him, Vasya understands that the food is stolen. This, of course, confuses the boy, but he sees that Marusya is so happy with the food ... Now Vasya comes to the mountain without hindrance, and the adult members of the "bad society" also get used to the boy, love him.

Autumn comes, and Marusya falls ill. In order to somehow entertain the sick girl, Vasya decides to ask Sonya for a while for a big beautiful doll, a gift from her late mother. Sonya agrees. Marusya is delighted with the doll, and she even gets better.

Old Janusz comes to the judge several times with denunciations of members of the "bad society". He says that Vasya communicates with them. The nanny notices the absence of the doll. Vasya is not allowed out of the house, and a few days later he runs away secretly.

Marcus is getting worse. The inhabitants of the dungeon decide that the doll needs to be returned, but the girl will not notice this. But seeing that they want to take the doll away, Marusya cries bitterly... Vasya leaves the doll to her.

And again Vasya is not allowed out of the house. The father is trying to get his son to confess where he went and where the doll went. Vasya admits that he took the doll, but says nothing more. The father is angry... And at the most critical moment, Tyburtsy appears. He is carrying a doll.

Tyburtsy tells the judge about Vasya's friendship with his children. He is amazed. The father feels guilty before Vasya. It was as if a wall had collapsed that had separated father and son for a long time, and they felt like close people. Tyburtsy says that Marusya is dead. The father lets Vasya say goodbye to her, while he sends through Vasya money for Tyburtsy and a warning: it is better for the head of the "bad society" to hide from the city.

Soon, almost all "dark personalities" disappear somewhere. Only the old "professor" and Turkevich remain, to whom the judge sometimes gives work. Marusya is buried in the old cemetery near the collapsed chapel. Vasya and his sister take care of her grave. Sometimes they come to the cemetery with their father. When the time comes for Vasya and Sonya to leave their native city, they pronounce their vows over this grave.

Author of the retelling: O. V. Butkova

Blind musician. Tale (1886)

In the south-west of Ukraine, in a family of wealthy village landowners Popelsky, a blind boy is born. At first, no one notices his blindness, only his mother guesses this from the strange expression on the face of little Petrus. Doctors confirm a terrible guess.

Peter's father is a good-natured man, but rather indifferent to everything except the household. Uncle, Maxim Yatsenko, has a fighting character. In his youth, he was known everywhere as a "dangerous bully" and justified this characterization: he left for Italy, where he entered the Garibaldi detachment. In the battle with the Austrians, Maxim lost his leg, received many wounds and was forced to return home to live out his life in inactivity. The uncle decides to take up the upbringing of Petrus. He has to fight blind maternal love: he explains to his sister Anna Mikhailovna, Petrus' mother, that excessive care can harm the boy's development. Uncle Maxim hopes to raise a new "fighter for the cause of life."

Spring is coming. The child is alarmed by the noise of the awakening nature. Mother and uncle are taking Petrus for a walk on the river bank. Adults do not notice the excitement of a boy who cannot cope with the abundance of impressions. Petrus loses consciousness. After this incident, mother and uncle Maxim try to help the boy comprehend sounds and sensations.

Petrus loves to listen to the play of the groom Joachim on the pipe. The groom made his wonderful instrument himself; unhappy love disposes Joachim to sad melodies. He plays every evening, and on one of these evenings a blind panich comes to his stable. Petrus learns to play the pipe from Joachim. The mother, seized with jealousy, writes the piano out of the city. But when she starts playing, the boy almost loses his senses again: this complex music seems to him rough, noisy. Joachim is of the same opinion. Then Anna Mikhailovna understands that in a simple game the groom is much more than a living feeling. She secretly listens to Joachim's tune and learns from him. In the end, her art conquers both Petrus and the groom. Meanwhile, the boy begins to play the piano as well. And Uncle Maxim asks Joachim to sing folk songs to the blind panich.

Petrus has no friends. The village boys shy away from him. And in the neighboring estate of the elderly Yaskulsky, the daughter of Evelina, the same age as Petrus, is growing up. This beautiful girl is calm and reasonable. Evelina accidentally meets Peter on a walk. At first she does not realize that the boy is blind. When Petrus tries to feel her face, Evelina gets scared, and when she learns about his blindness, she cries bitterly with pity. Peter and Evelina become friends. Together they take lessons from Uncle Maxim, Children grow up, and their friendship becomes stronger.

Uncle Maxim invites his old friend Stavruchenko to visit with his student sons, folk lovers and folklore collectors. Their cadet friend comes with them. Young people bring liveliness to the quiet life of the estate. Uncle Maxim wants Peter and Evelina to feel that a bright and interesting life is flowing nearby. Evelina understands that this is a test for her feelings for Peter. She firmly decides to marry Peter and tells him about it.

A blind young man plays the piano in front of the guests. Everyone is shocked and predicts his fame. For the first time, Peter realizes that he too is capable of doing something in life.

The Popelskys pay a return visit to the Stavruchenkov estate. The hosts and guests are going to the N-sky monastery. On the way, they stop near the gravestone, under which the Cossack ataman Ignat Kary is buried, and next to him is the blind bandura player Yurko, who accompanied the ataman on campaigns. Everyone sighs for the glorious past. And Uncle Maxim says that the eternal struggle continues, although in other forms.

In the monastery, everyone is escorted to the bell tower by the blind bell-ringer, the novice Egory. He is young and his face is very similar to Peter. Egory is embittered at the whole world. He rudely scolds the village children who are trying to get into the bell tower. After everyone goes downstairs, Peter remains to talk to the bell ringer. It turns out that Yegoriy is also born blind. There is another bell-ringer in the monastery, Roman, who has been blind since the age of seven. Egory is jealous of Roman, who has seen the world, seen his mother, remembers her... When Peter and Egory finish their conversation, Roman arrives. He is kind, gentle with a flock of children.

This meeting makes Peter understand the depth of his misfortune. He seems to become different, as embittered as Egory. In his conviction that all those born blind are evil, Peter tortures those close to him. He asks for an explanation of the incomprehensible difference in colors for him. Peter reacts painfully to the touch of sunlight on his face. He even envies the poor blind, whose hardships make them forget their blindness for a while.

Uncle Maxim and Peter go to the N-th miraculous icon. Blind people beg nearby. The uncle invites Peter to taste the share of the poor. Peter wants to leave as soon as possible so as not to hear the songs of the blind. But Uncle Maxim makes him give everyone a piece of soap.

Peter is seriously ill. After recovery, he announces to his family that he will go with Uncle Maxim to Kyiv, where he will take lessons from a famous musician.

Uncle Maxim really goes to Kyiv and from there writes soothing letters home. Meanwhile, Pyotr, secretly from his mother, along with poor blind men, among whom is an acquaintance of Maxim's uncle Fyodor Kandyba, goes to Pochaev. In this journey, Peter gets to know the world in its diversity and, empathizing with the grief of others, forgets about his sufferings.

Peter returns to the estate as a completely different person, his soul is healed. His mother is angry with him for deceiving him, but soon forgives him. Peter talks a lot about his travels. Uncle Maxim also comes from Kyiv. The trip to Kyiv has been canceled for a year.

In the same autumn, Peter marries Evelina. But in his happiness, he does not forget about his travel companions. Now, on the edge of the village, there is a new hut of Fyodor Kandyba, and Peter often comes to him.

Peter has a son. The father is afraid that the boy will be blind. And when the doctor informs that the child is undoubtedly sighted, Peter is overwhelmed with such joy that for a few moments it seems to him that he himself sees everything: heaven, earth, his loved ones.

Three years pass. Peter becomes known for his musical talent. In Kyiv, during the "Contracts" fair, a large audience gathers to listen to a blind musician, whose fate is already legendary.

Among the public and uncle Maxim. He listens to the musician's improvisations, which are intertwined with the motives of folk songs. Suddenly, the song of the poor blind breaks into the lively melody. Maxim understands that Peter was able to feel life in its fullness, to remind people of other people's suffering. Realizing this and his merit, Maxim is convinced that he did not live his life in vain.

Author of the retelling: O. V. Butkova

No tongue. Story (1895)

In the Volyn province, not far from the city of Khlebno, over a winding river stands the village of Lozishchi. All its inhabitants bear the surname Lozinsky with the addition of various nicknames. There are legends that once the Lozinskys were Cossacks, they had some privileges, but now all this has been forgotten.

Osip Lozinsky Ogloble, like others, did not have a good life in Lozishchi. He was married, but he did not have children yet, and Osip decided to look around the world for his share. A year or two later, his wife Katerina received a letter from America. Osip wrote that he was working on a farm, that his life was good, he called his wife to his place and sent her a ticket for the ship and train. Two Losishans decide to go with Katerina. This is her brother Matvey Dyshlo and his friend Ivan Dyma. Matvey is a very strong, rustic and thoughtful guy. Ivan is not so strong, but he is agile and has a sharp tongue. To have enough for the journey, they sell their houses and land.

Having reached Hamburg, the residents of Lozishchi want to board the steamer together, but Matvey and Dyma have no tickets. Katerina leaves without them. Friends buy tickets for the next flight. On the way, they unsuccessfully try to find out what "American freedom" is, rumors about which have reached them back in their homeland. An elderly man, also a native of Ukraine, dies on the ship. His daughter Anna remains an orphan. Matvey considers it his duty to help the unfortunate girl.

On the pier, the Lozishans notice a compatriot - Mr. Bork, a Jew from the city of Dubno. Mr. Bork is glad to meet his countrymen. He takes them to New York, where he has a kind of inn. Anna Bork arranges in the same room with her daughter Rosa. Anna learns that she and Rosa used to live in the same city, but Rosa's family suffered from pogroms, and Anna's brother - from the fact that he participated in the pogrom.

The Lozishans find out that they have lost Osip Oglobli's address. They send letters at random. America disappoints friends, especially Matvey. He calls all her orders the offspring of the devil. Matvey sees that even the Jews in America do not adhere to their customs so strictly. Mr. Bork explains that America grinds every person, and his faith changes. This terrifies Matthew. And Dyma quickly gets used to the new situation and begins to seem like a complete stranger to a friend. Ivan changes his Little Russian suit for an American one, cuts his Cossack mustache, finds out that he can make money by selling his vote in the mayoral elections. He persuades Matvey to enter into single combat with the Irish boxer Paddy. With the help of a cunning trick, the Irishman defeats the strong man. Matvey is deeply offended by both his friend and America.

Once an elderly Russian lady comes to Bork. She needs a maid. She wants to hire a girl from Russia, because she thinks that American women are too spoiled. Bork and his family do not advise Anna to take this job: the lady pays little and makes her work hard. But she adheres not to American, but to Russian orders, and therefore, according to Matvey, serving with this lady is the only salvation for Anna.

Anna yields to Matthew's insistence. Mr Bork's son John leads them to the mistress. Her unceremonious words offend John, and he leaves without waiting for Matvey. He rushes after him, loses sight of John, does not remember the way back and wanders around the city until he loses all hope of finding a familiar place or face. He cannot ask for directions: he does not know a word of English. Matvey's exotic clothes attract the attention of a newspaper reporter who sketches the "savage".

In the park, where Matvey settles for the night, a stranger approaches him. But, since Matvey is a man "without language", the conversation does not work. Morning finds Matvey sleeping on a bench, and his recent interlocutor hangs himself from one of the neighboring trees.

A rally of the unemployed begins in the park. The crowd notices the poor man hanging himself, they are excited by this event. Speaker Charlie Gompers, the famous orator of the workers' union. Passions are heating up. Matvey, not understanding a word, feels a sense of joyful unity with the crowd. Pushing his way to the podium, he meets a policeman Hopkins, whom he had already seen the day before. Matvey wants to pay his respects to Hopkins by kissing his hand. The policeman thinks that the savage intends to bite him, and uses his club. An enraged Matvey throws him away, pushes the policemen aside, and other protesters rush after him. They break into the square, and for a moment the situation becomes uncontrollable. Order is soon restored.

The next day all the newspapers are full of reports about "the savage who killed policeman Hopkins." Later, however, Hopkins is revealed to be alive.

After the disappearance of Matvey, Dyma becomes discouraged, but he is found by Osip Ogloblya, who nevertheless got the letter. Osip takes Dyma to his place.

And Matvey's comrades at the rally immediately after the incident decide that he needs to hide. He is dressed in an American dress and, since Matvey repeats the word "Minnesota" (Osip Ogloblya lives there), he is put on a train going to Minnesota. Judge Dableton Dickinson and a Russian emigrant Yevgeny Nilov, who works at his sawmill, are on the same train. Silent Matvey arouses Dickinson's suspicions.

Matthew gets off the train at Dableton. Soon, having again discovered Matvey's criminal intention to "bite" the policeman's hand, the violator of the order is taken to the trial chamber. Of course, they cannot get a word from him until Nilov comes. With his appearance, everything is explained: the nationality, and the name of the stranger, and the fact that he does not bite. The inhabitants of Dabletown are happy that the riddle of the famous savage has been safely solved in their city. Nilov leads his fellow countryman to him. Enthusiastic Dabbletones escort them to the very door of the house.

Matvey recognizes in Nilovo a young gentleman who lived not far from Lozishchi, who ceded the disputed lands to the Lozishchi and disappeared somewhere. Matthew starts working with him. Nilov is about to leave: here he yearns for his homeland, and in his homeland - for freedom. Matthew also wants to leave. Nilov asks what Matvey wanted to find in America. Receives the answer: wealth, family. Nilov advises Matvey not to rush to leave: all this can be acquired here as well. Yevgeny introduces Matvey to cars, gets him a job as an instructor in a Jewish colony, and leaves.

Anna still works for the old lady in New York. Two years have passed since her arrival. Matthew arrives unexpectedly. He wants to take Anna to him and marry her. The girl agrees. She refuses to serve, and the mistress is again left without a servant.

Before leaving New York, Matvey and Anna go to the pier. Now Matvey seems to have everything he dreamed of. The return already seems impossible to him, and yet his soul yearns for something.

Author of the retelling: O. V. Butkova

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